When utilizing a part, whether the part is a tool for fabricating a structure or a structure under fabrication, it is often necessary to precisely level the part with respect to the earth and to maintain the level position for the duration of the fabrication process. When the part is very large, leveling and maintaining a level position can be difficult due to internal and external factors. Internally, the part may be subject to twisting and straining over time due to internal forces present within the part. Externally, the part may undergo minor or even significant movement due to shifts in the earth on which the part is initially leveled. Conventional leveling systems typically involve using laser-tracking equipment to “survey” the part and to identify coordinates at which identified points on the part should be positioned when level. These identified points on the part are positioned at the specific coordinates and are periodically re-surveyed during drift checks to ensure that they are maintaining position. This optical leveling procedure is time consuming and cumbersome, requiring expensive laser-tracking equipment.
Similarly, internal forces within a machined part may cause the part to deform after the machining process. When a large tool or structure is machined, the structure must be clamped down into position and held in place during the machining process. At one or more time during the machining process, the structure may need to undergo a stress relief procedure to relieve the internal stresses of the material being machined. During the stress relief procedure, the hold-down clamps are released, and the structure is subjected to heat and/or vibration to relieve any internal stress induced by or present during the initial machining process. The hold-down clamps are then re-applied and the machining process continues. However, the force applied by the hold-down clamps when re-engaged after the stress relief procedure may not be the same as the force applied during the initial clamping process and may not be consistent among all of the clamps. As a result, additional and variable internal forces may be induced by the clamps that result in the finished structure deforming into an undesirable shape.
It is with respect to these considerations and others that the disclosure made herein is presented.